We're diving into the captivating story of the Fyre Festival and exploring how it serves as both a shining example and cautionary tale for special events in fundraising. At it’s best, special events can: Brings corporate partners on board Be a physical manifestation of your mission Gather people in community, and build affinity Acquire new donorsBuild richer context around your content Create excitement because of the date-driven eventCreate all sorts of content and other engagement opportunities Involve volunteers in co-building a meaningful experience  But as always, the real money is in the follow-up and the relationships built. But there’s downsides to consider.  A myriad of hidden costs No true accounting or attribution In many cases, terrible donor retention Gifts that aren’t meaningful; rather obligatory Can cause internal strife and stress  Can distract from building actual relationships Can get you stuck on the donor acquisition hamster wheel Without a follow-up strategy, loses a lot of value  We'd love to hear your thoughts!  Have you had experiences with special events in fundraising? Share your stories and insights with us.  GET CONNECTED Follow Louis Diez on LinkedIn Follow Mike Duerksen on LinkedIn  Join the Donor Participation Project here—a community of fundraisers who get together every month to co-create solutions that increase donor participation. Get access to the 5 Minute Fundraising Fix—a FREE mini course that will help you craft compelling fundraising messages that move donors to action and increase response.  ABOUT THE HOSTS Louis Diez advises nonprofits in annual fund development, digital fundraising, and engagement strategies. He's the founder and host of the Donor Participation Project and VP, Community at Almabase. Mike Duerksen hosts the Build Good Fundraising Podcast. He’s the founder and CEO of BuildGood, a fundraising agency that helps nonprofits raise more money from individual donors.